Shutter mounting for engine cooling systems



J. L. WALKER SHUTTER MOUNTING FOR ENGINE COOLING SYSTEMS Filed Sept. 1,1951 Jan. 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.2.

R. MR E MK VL m L N H O ATTORNEYS J. L. WALKER SHUTTER MOUNTING FORENGINE COOLING SYSTEMS Filed Sept. 1, 1951 Jan. 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR;

JOHNLWALKER B Y Anomvs Patented Jan. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICESHUTTER MOUNTING FOR ENGINE COOLING SYSTEMS John L. Walker, Muskegon,Mich., assignor to A Continental Motors Corporation, a corporation ofVirginia Application September 1, 1951, Serial No. 244,771

4 Claims.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines and moreparticularly to an air cooling system for such engines and to animproved control of the flow of the cooling fluid about said engine.

The control of air fiow over an air cooled internal combustion enginehas been the subject of numerous experiments, all seeking to provide abetter control but at the most economical manufacturing cost.

An object of my present invention is to obtain an efficient coolingsystem construction for an air cooled internal combustion engine with aminimum of manufacturing expense by providing an automatic thermalcontrol therefor, and more especially to an improved means for mountingadjustable shutters controlling the one or more air outlet openings.

More particularly, it is the object of my present invention tofacilitate the manufacture and maintenance of the cooling system controlby mounting the adjustable shutters controlling the one or more airoutlet openings on means operable in response to temperature changes ofthe cooling medium at the outlet, said means comprising the sole supportfor said shutters, the said unit adjustable shutter and its supportbeing readily assembled and disassembled from the engine with a minimumof time and labor, thereby materially facilitating the servicing of saidengine.

For a more detailed understanding of my invention, reference may be hadto the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereofin which like characters refer to like parts throughout the severalviews, and in which Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical sectional viewthrough the power plant incorporating my improved air flow control andshowing same in section and associated with multicylinder engine havinghorizontally opposed cylinders and shown in end elevation;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the unit air flow control means adapted to bemounted in the engine shroud and carried thereby at the air outletmeans;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially onthe line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view taken onthe line 55 or Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail perspective view showing the thermalresponsive bi-metal coil which supports the adjustable shutter of theair control means.

I have chosen, for purposes of illustration, to incorporate my improvedcontrol with a cooling system of a multi-cylinder engine of the typehaving horizontally opposed air cooled cylinders. The engine illustratedin the accompanying drawings, generally indicated in its entirety by thereference character A comprises a crankcase it having opposed cylindersH. A shroud l2 encloses the engine and comprises a hood portion l3extend ing over the entire engine, terminating at a point below thecrankcase, so as to provide outlet openings [4 beneath the enginecylinders one on each side of the engine crankcase.

The engine is provided with a blower housed with the blower casing [5which blows air over the top of the engine (see arrows it in Figs. 1 and2). This air is confined to flow in the air duct or passage defined bythe shroud casing l3 and engine A, and thence flows downwardly betweenand around the engine cylinders II, the intercylinder bafiies l1 servingto confine the air flow to close heat exchange relation with the fins I8on said cylinders. The air, after passing the engine cylinders, flowsinto the chamber I9 beneath the cylinders l l and is subsequentlydischarged through the outlet openings M.

The control of the air discharged through outlet openings I4 is had byadjustable shutters or other suitable means, and I have preferablyprovided a unitary control means 20 comprising an open bottom tray-likesupport or closure 2! for each of said openings I 4. Brackets 22 aresecured, preferably by welding, to the end walls of the tray 2i and oneend of a bi-metal coil 23 is anchored or otherwise rigidly secured tothe bracket 22 as at 24. The free end of this coil 23 is secured to ashutter 25. I have preferably provided a pair of these shutters for eachtray (see Figs. 3 and 4), but obviously one or more of such shutters maybe employed as desired. Each shutter 25 is supported at each end by oneof these coils 23 and this bi-metal coil is operated in response totemperature changes of the air at the outlet opening, and these coilsprovide the sole support for the said shutters.

These bi-metal coil supports are thermal responsive and tend to unwindwhen subjected to air of increased temperature or wind up as same issubjected to colder air. These shutters thus are adjustable to open orclose the outlet opening in response to temperature changes in the airat the outlet of the air duct or passage serving to conduct a coolingair over said engine. Preferably these shutters as used in theapplication illustrated are longitudinally dished for strength and whenmore than one shutter is used for each tray,

the adjacent shutters are slightly overlapped as shown at 26 and alsoslightly overlap the rim of the tray opening 21 as at 28.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my inventionpertains, that various modifications and changes may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of my invention or from the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a cooling system for an internal combustion engine, comprising ashroud enclosing an engine and cooperating with the engine to provide anair duct through which a flow of air is conducted in heat transferrelation with said engine to cool same, an outlet opening for said airduct, shutters for said outlet opening, and means for pivotallysupporting said shutters comprising a thermal responsive coil operableas the sole means for supporting said shutters and constructed torespect ely unwind or wind up in response to an increase or decrease inthe temperature of the air at said outlet opening to adjust saidshutters.

2. In a cooling system for an internal combustion engine, comprising ashroud enclosing an engine and cooperating with the engine to provide anair duct through which a flow of air is conducted in heat transferrelation with said engine to cool same, an outlet opening for said airduct, a shutter for said outlet opening, and means for pivotallysupporting said shutter comprising a thermal responsive coil at each endof said shutter, each said coil anchored at one end to the shroud andsecured at its free end to said shutter, and serving as the sole meansfor supporting the shutter, said coil operable to respectively open orshut said shutter in response to an increase or decrease in temperatureof the air at said outlet opening,

3. In a cooling system for an internal combustion engine, comprising ashroud enclosing an engine and cooperating with the engine to provide anair duct through which a flow of air is conducted in heat transferrelation with said engine to cool same, an outlet opening for said airduct, an open bottom tray like closure for said outlet opening, one ormore shutters associated with the open bottom of said closure, andthermal responsive means serving as the sole means to pivotally supportsaid one or more shutters, said means operable in response totemperature changes of the air at said outlet opening to open or shutthe shutter.

4. In a cooling system for an internal combustion engine, comprising ashroud enclosing an engine and cooperating with the engine to provide anair duct through which a flow of air is conducted to heat transferrelation with said engine to cool same, an outlet opening for said airduct, an open bottom elongated tray like closure member for said outletopening, one or more shutters extending lengthwise of the elongated openbottom opening in said tray-like closure and. movable to open or closethe said opening, and a thermoresponsive bi-metal coil support at eachend of said shutter, said coil anchored at one end to the closure memberand secured at its free end to the shutter and serving as the sole meansfor supporting said shutter, said coil constructed to respectivelyunwind or wind up in response to temperature changes of the air at saidoutlet opening to urge said shutter to an open position as thetemperature of the air increases or to a closed position as thetemperature of the air decreases.

JOHN L. WALKER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,619,965 Aseltine Mar. 8, 1927 1,802,915 Hicks Apr. 28, 1931

